Written Answers Thursday 24 February 2011

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received since 2008 regarding the use of neonicotinoid pesticides on crops and what the terms of such representations were.

Richard Lochhead: Since 2008 the Scottish Government has received four parliamentary questions and twenty-two letters about neonicotinoid pesticides on crops. In general, this correspondence expressed concerns over the use of neonicotinoid pesticides, and the potential impact on wildlife.

Bees

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken or will undertake research into the beneficial impact on bee populations of the bans imposed on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides that have been introduced in France, Slovenia, Italy and Germany.

Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government takes issues related to bee populations very seriously and monitors developments in relation to pesticides and insects carefully.

  To develop an understanding of these issues the Scottish Government has contributed to a £1.8 million study led by the University of Dundee on "An investigation into the synergistic impact of sublethal exposure to industrial chemicals on the learning capacity and performance of bees", which is part of the UK wide £10 million Insect Pollinators Initiative.

  Bans imposed on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides in other member states can result from a number of different reasons, for example Germany and Slovenia have had labelling issues, whereas Italy and France have imposed bans as a precautionary measure. It is too early to assess the impact of such bans on bee populations.

Bees

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken research since 2008 into the impact on bees of the use of neonicotinoid pesticides on crops in Scotland.

Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-39257 on 24 February 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

  Regulations regarding active substances in pesticides are initially evaluated at European Community level and then, if the substance meets safety requirements, may be authorised at member state level. The UK has stringent procedures in place before a pesticide can be sold or used (which include assessments of the toxicity of each product and the ways in which spray operators, the public or environment, in particular honey bees, may be exposed to it and, checks to ensure the risks that can arise from use of the product is not unacceptable).

Cancer

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the age-standardised mortality rate from prostate cancer has been in each year since 1997-98, also broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) parliamentary constituency.

Nicola Sturgeon: Deaths data in Scotland is sourced from General Register Office for Scotland; Data is supplied annually in September. The most recent calendar year of data currently available is 2009.

  Age standardised mortality rates for prostate cancer by NHS board area of residence is available for calendar years 1997 to 2009.

  A copy of the table has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 52500) - Table (a)

  Ref: IR2011-00326.

  Source: General Register Office for Scotland (GROS).

  Data extracted: September 2010.

  Age standardised mortality rates for prostate cancer by Scottish parliamentary constituency of residence for calendar years 1997 to 2009.

  A copy of the table has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 52500) - Table (b)

  Ref: IR2011-00326.

  Source: General Register Office for Scotland (GROS).

  Data extracted: September 2010.

  More comprehensive data on prostate cancer can be found on the Information Services Division website at http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/1488.html.

Cancer

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths from prostate cancer there have been in each year since 1997-98, also broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) parliamentary constituency.

Nicola Sturgeon: Deaths data in Scotland is sourced from General Register Office for Scotland; Data is supplied annually in September. The most recent calendar year of data currently available is 2009.

  Number of deaths from prostate cancer by NHS board area of residence for calendar years 1997 to 2009.

  A copy of the table has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre  (Bib. number 52499) - Table (a)

  Ref: IR2011-00445.

  Source: General Register Office for Scotland (GROS).

  Data extracted: September 2010.

  Number of deaths from prostate cancer by Scottish parliamentary constituency of residence, calendar years 1997 to 2009.

  A copy of the table has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre  (Bib. number 52499) - Table (b)

  Ref: IR2011-00445.

  Source: General Register Office for Scotland (GROS).

  Data extracted: September 2010.

  More comprehensive data on prostate cancer can be found on the Information Services Division website at http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/1488.html.

Cancer

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) age-standardised incidence for prostate cancer and (b) number of diagnoses of prostate cancer there have been in each year since 1997-98, also broken down by (i) NHS board and (ii) parliamentary constituency.

Nicola Sturgeon: Data on newly diagnosed cancers in Scotland are recorded on the Scottish Cancer Registry. The most recent calendar year of data currently available is 2008.

  Incidence (number of registrations) and age-standardised incidence rates of prostate cancer by NHS board area of residence for calendar years 1997 to 2008.

  A copy of the table has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre  (Bib. number 52498) - Table (a)

  Ref: IR2011-00325.

  Source: Scottish Cancer Registry, ISD.

  Data extracted: February 2011.

  Incidence (number of registrations) and age-standardised incidence rates of prostate cancer by Scottish parliamentary constituency of residence for calendar years 1997 to 2008.

  A copy of the table has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre  (Bib. number 52498) - Table (b)

  Ref: IR2011-00325.

  Source: Scottish Cancer Registry, ISD.

  Data extracted: February 2011.

  More comprehensive data on prostate cancer can be found on the Information Services Division website at http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/1488.html.

Cancer

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests there have been in each year since 1997-98, also broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) parliamentary constituency.

Nicola Sturgeon: The data requested is not routinely collected or held centrally.

Cancer

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of reports made by prostate cancer patients regarding their treatment and care and what steps are being taken to addressing variations experienced.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Better Together Programme, Scotland’s national patient experience programme, will be reviewing the first national datasets produced through the two national patient experience surveys undertaken in 2009-10 to establish if there are reported differences in the experiences of those people living with long term conditions including cancer. The national reports published in 2010 have highlighted differential experiences across some patient groups but not specifically those people living with cancer.

Cancer

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many attendances at GP surgeries by prostate cancer patients there have been in each year since 1997-98, also broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) parliamentary constituency.

Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally however Table 1 shows the estimated numbers of patients attending consultations at Scottish GP practices for prostate cancer related conditions during the financial years 2003-04 to 2008-09.

  Patients with prostate cancer will be diagnosed and receive treatment in healthcare settings other than GP practices, and may never consult their GP practice for prostate cancer. They may also consult their GP practice for non-prostate cancer related conditions.

  These estimates are based on data from a small sample of general practices in Scotland that participate in the Practice Team Information (PTI) scheme. The patients registered to PTI practices are representative of Scotland as a whole in terms of their age, gender and deprivation profile. However, precise estimates are difficult to generate for small age groups and/or for conditions where patients consult relatively rarely. Confidence intervals are shown to indicate the degree of precision of these estimates.

  Table 1

  Estimated Numbers1, with 95% Confidence Intervals2, of Patients Attending Consultations with a GP or Practice-employed Nurse for Prostate Cancer, in Scotland.

  

Financial Year
Estimated Patients
95% Confidence Intervals
Estimated Consultations
95% Confidence Intervals


2003-04
7,471
(6,245-8,696)
27,422
(21,304-33,540)


2004-05
8,667
(7,111-10,223)
28,079
(21,556-34,602)


2005-06
7,067
(5,839-8,294)
22,188
(17,640-26,736)


2006-07
7,833
(6,184-9,482)
23,515
(17,378-29,652)


2007-08
8,146
(6,749-9,543)
22,633
(17,863-27,402)


2008-09
8,371
(7,227-9,516)
23,517
(19,667-27,368)



  Notes:

  1. Based on data from 59, 53, 51, 49, 48 and 58 PTI practices that submitted complete GP and practice nurse data for the years ending 31 March 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively.

  2. As the estimates are based on data from a sample of practices, 95% confidence intervals are included to indicate the relative degree of certainty of these estimates.

Cancer

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many emergency admissions by patients with a primary diagnosis of prostate cancer there have been in each year since 1997-98, also broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) parliamentary constituency.

Nicola Sturgeon: Figures confirming the number of emergency admissions with a main diagnosis of prostate cancer by NHS board are available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 52507).

  Figures confirming the number of emergency admissions with a main diagnosis of prostate cancer by parliamentary constituency are also available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 52501).

Cancer

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to increase awareness of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests, including the risks and benefits, and whether it will provide information regarding these to (a) GPs and (b) the public.

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that men are made aware of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test and are given sufficient information to make a choice regarding taking it.

Nicola Sturgeon: In 2010 the Scottish Government circulated the prostate cancer risk management programme pack to all general practitioners across NHS Scotland. Full details of this programme can be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/health/cancer/publications.

  The PSA testing information leaflet, which is included in the prostate cancer risk management programme pack, is available to members of the public from their GP and can also be accessed via the Scottish Government website.

  Men who are concerned about prostate cancer can ask their GP for a PSA test. If they do so, they should be provided with full information explaining the risks and benefits, allowing them to make an informed choice about proceeding with the test. The prostate cancer risk management programme pack provides all the relevant information in one concise resource.

Cancer

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of (a) men and (b) GPs was aware of the availability of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test in each year since 1997, also broken down by (i) NHS board and (ii) parliamentary constituency.

Nicola Sturgeon: This information is collect or held centrally.

Cancer

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to establish a test for prostate cancer that would be suitable as a universal screening tool.

Shona Robison: The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) sets out the criteria to assess screening programmes; the introduction of proposed new population screening programmes; the modification and withdrawal of existing programmes; and the quality and management of such programmes. At present the UK NSC recommends that a national programme for prostate cancer, with the currently available testing techniques, would not be of proven benefit and could cause harm. This policy was last reviewed in December 2010 and no significant changes were made. It is due to be considered again in 2013-14 and the UK NSC will continue to actively review the research findings as they become available on screening for prostate cancer. The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Government Health Directorates has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health and health care needs in Scotland. CSO is currently funding one research project into prostate cancer, at a cost of £364,000. This project is based at the University of Aberdeen, titled Deregulation of androgen receptor signalling in prostate cancer and will contribute to the development of UK NSC policy.

Children

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on reductions in local authority spending that impact on children.

Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has offered local authorities a financial package of over £11.5 billion which, if accepted, represents a reduction in funding of just 2.6%, a significantly lesser reduction than is being experienced across the Scottish Government as a whole or by local authorities south of the border.

  Managing current budgetary pressures is requiring very difficult decisions to be made, both nationally and locally. Local authorities are usually better placed than the Scottish Government to judge and take expenditure decisions on local services and facilities, including those for children, according to local views and priorities.

Education

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made to secure the long term financial future of the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music.

Michael Russell: We welcome the decision by Highland Council to maintain funding to the centre during school year 2011-12 as this allows time for all parties to consider how best to ensure its long term future, a process which is just beginning. The member already has an assurance of the Scottish Government’s determination to achieve a successful outcome to this endeavour.

Education

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the basis was for the amount included in Highland Council’s budget for the National Centre for Excellence in Traditional Music.

Michael Russell: The previously ring-fenced funding for national centres of excellence was rolled-up into the local government finance settlement with effect from 1 April 2008. The £410,000 provided to Highland Council to assist with the running costs of the National Centre for Excellence in Traditional Music was a figure that emerged from a 2005 revision of all the centres’ funding and was based largely on the number of residential and non-residential pupils at that time.

Education

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what understanding was reached with or through COSLA regarding increased funding for particular local authorities for national centres of excellence in education being intended for the continuation of such centres.

Michael Russell: Under the terms of the Concordat it was agreed by Scottish Ministers and the COSLA Presidential Team that, as part of the funding package for 2008-11, the Scottish Government would substantially reduce the number of separate funding streams, thereby allowing local authorities much more freedom in how they allocate their total resources. The funding for national centres of excellence in education was one of the many ring-fenced funding streams rolled up with effect from 1 April 2008. Although the funding for centres of excellence is no longer separately identifiable, the provision is still recognised in the needs based distribution formula.

Education

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is regarding a local authority no longer providing funding for a national centre of excellence in education for which its annual funding had been specifically increased.

Michael Russell: The previously ring-fenced funding for national centres of excellence was rolled-up into the local government finance settlement with effect from 1 April 2008. Although the provision for national centres of excellence is still recognised in the needs-based distribution formula there is no separately identifiable funding. If a local authority were to withdraw this service, this could impact on the future funding allocations for that local authority. The Scottish Government’s view is that it would not be appropriate for a local authority to benefit at the expense of other local authorities, within the distribution formula, in relation to a facility or service that it no longer provides.

Emergency Services

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in its reviews of the future of policing and the fire and rescue service.

Kenny MacAskill: Two weeks ago we launched consultations on the future of our police and fire and rescue services. We want to build a consensus on how we can protect the frontline and improve services for the people of Scotland in the face of unprecedented cuts from Westminster. The Minister for Community Safety and I are currently touring the country listening to the views of the public and police and fire professionals about the issues that matter to them.

Emergency Services

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason there is no emergency ambulance response rate target in the draft budget for 2011-12.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Ambulance Service achieved the 75% category A response time target in March 2009 at which time the target became a standard. Since then we have seen year on year improvement to the full-year performance returned by the Service.

  The Local Delivery Plan Guidance 2011-12 sets out the agreed HEAT targets and standards for NHSScotland at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/NHS-Scotland/17273/LDPGuidancePDF201112.

  These HEAT targets and standards support the budgetary process.

  The Scottish Ambulance Service’s Local Delivery Plan for 2011-12 will include the HEAT national standard to respond to 75% of Category A calls within 8 minutes from April 2009 onwards across mainland Scotland.

  The Scottish Ambulance Service regularly reports on performance against this standard at their board meetings and in its annual report. Performance is also considered at the Scottish Ambulance Service annual review.

Employment

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to secure the future of jobs at the Skykon wind tower factory at Macrihanish.

Jim Mather: Scottish Development International and Highlands and Islands Enterprise are continuing to work closely with Skykon’s administrators, Ernst and Young to help find a buyer for the Machrihanish Skykon site and ensure its long term future.

Employment

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were employed in Dundee in each industrial sector in each of the last three years for which information is available, broken down by gender.

John Swinney: The official source of employment levels at local authority level is the Annual Population Survey (APS). The latest available data is for July 2009 to June 2010. Table 1 shows how many people were employed in Dundee City local authority, in each of the last three years by industrial sector and gender.

  Table 1: Employment Levels by Broad Industry Sector and gender for Dundee City Local Authority, 12 months to June 2008, 2009 and 2010

  

 
2008
2009
2010


Gender
All
Gender
All
Gender
All


Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female


A-B: Agriculture and fishing
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*


C,E: Energy and water
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*


D: Manufacturing
*
*
7,600 
6,500 
2,100 
8,600 
*
*
6,400 


F: Construction
*
*
6,200 
*
*
5,700 
*
*
4,700 


G-H: Distribution, hotels and restaurants
7,300 
7,000 
14,400 
9,400 
7,300 
16,700 
8,200 
9,000 
17,100 


I: Transport and communication
*
*
 3,400 
*
*
3,900 
*
*
4,000 


J-K: Banking, finance and insurance etc
4,100 
5,800 
9,900 
4,900 
5,500 
10,300 
 6,800 
 5,500 
12,300 


L-N: Public admin, education and health
10,300 
22,600 
32,900 
8,000 
22,000 
30,000 
10,000 
22,800 
32,700 


O-Q: Other services
2,100 
2,500 
4,600 
3,300 
2,500 
5,700 
*
*
4,800 


Total
38,800 
41,100 
79,900 
41,000 
40,800 
81,800 
42,000 
40,800 
82,800 



  Source: Annual Population Survey, Office for National Statistics.

  Notes:

  *Estimate suppressed as below reliability threshold or disclosive.

  1. Employment levels are for those aged 16 and over.

  2. Data may not sum due to rounding.

  3. Industry sectors based on SIC 2003 industry classifications. Data for 2008 and 2009 converted from SIC 2007 classification. Conversions from SIC 2007 to SIC 2003 are not exact.

  4. Estimates are workplace based.

  5. Data rounded to nearest hundred.

Employment

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new jobs have been created in each industrial sector in Dundee in the latest year for which information is available.

John Swinney: This information is not held centrally.

  Using the Annual Population Survey, the change in the number of people employed within each broad industrial sector can be estimated. This is shown in the following table.

  Table 1: Net change in number of people employed over year, from July 2008 to June 2009 to July 2009 to June 2010, by broad industrial sector, Dundee City local authority.

  

Industry Sector
Net Change in Number of PeopleEmployed over Year


Agriculture and fishing
*


Energy and water
*


Manufacturing
-2100


Construction
-1000


Distribution, hotels and restaurants
500


Transport and communication
0


Banking, finance & insurance etc
1900


Public admin, education and health
2700


Other services
-900


All sectors
1000



  Source: Annual Population Survey, Office for National Statistics.

  Notes:

  *Estimate suppressed as below reliability threshold or disclosive.

  1.Estimates based on those aged 16 and over.

  2.Data may not sum due to rounding.

  3.Industry sectors based on SIC 2003 industry classifications.

  4.Estimates are workplace based.

  5.Data rounded to nearest hundred.

  6.As data is based on sample survey, the changes may not be statistically significant.

Environment

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has received from SEPA regarding the environmental impact of the development of biomass plants.

Roseanna Cunningham: At the beginning of last year the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) provided guidance which was incorporated into the Scottish Government’s Generic Scoping Guidance for Biomass Plants. The guidance sets out what developers need to consider in assessing the environmental impacts of a biomass development.

  In addition, SEPA is a statutory consultee for all applications for consent under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 and has therefore also responded to consultations on recent biomass applications.

Environment

Shirley-Anne Somerville (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs it estimates will be created under its plans for a low-carbon economy by 2014-15.

John Swinney: The Low Carbon Economic Strategy highlights the massive potential that renewable, environmental and emerging low carbon sectors have in Scotland. In considering the evidence base underpinning the Strategy we estimate that employment in the Low Carbon Environmental Goods and Services sector could support an additional 22,000 additional jobs by 2014-15. This would increase employment in the sector to 95,000 by 2014-15 from its 2008-09 base of 73,000.

Fatal Accident Inquiry

Charlie Gordon (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will respond in full to the recommendations of the Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths Inquiry (Scotland) Act 1976 review led by Lord Cullen of Whitekirk.

Kenny MacAskill: We expect to be able to respond to the review within the next few weeks.

Fisheries

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the fishing industry’s contribution to the Scottish economy has been in each year since 2007.

Richard Lochhead: First-sale value of landings by Scottish vessels from 2007 are as follows:

  2007: £400 million

  2008: £401 million

  2009: £443 million

  Gross value added (GVA) of the Scottish fishing industry has been estimated as follows for 2007 and for 2008:

  2007: £111 million

  2008: £146 million

  In addition to the direct impact on Scottish GVA, sea fishing also has knock-on benefits to other parts of the economy through the associated supply chain and through induced household spending. These additional impacts are not the subject of official analysis.

  All figures provided are in 2009 prices and show the most up to date data available.

Fisheries

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many processing jobs have been directly associated with the fishing industry in each year since 2007.

Richard Lochhead: The following table shows the estimated level of employment in fish processing in Scotland for 2007 and for 2008, the most recent year for which data is currently available.

  This includes employment in the processing of fish from Scotland’s sea fisheries and landings by vessels from other countries, processing fish from aquaculture and from imported fish. Separate figures for fish processing related specifically to sea fisheries are not available. The figures provided are headcount i.e. there is no differentiation between full and part time workers.

  

Year
2007
2008


Employment
7,800
7,800

Forensic Science

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the director of the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) Forensic Services stated a preference to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice for any of the options in the SPSA modernisation options paper prior to being informed of the recommended option in September 2010.

Kenny MacAskill: The provision of forensic science services is the responsibility of the SPSA. It was the SPSA board which took the decision about which of the options, set out in the SPSA forensics modernisation option paper, it would recommend to me in its letter of 30 September 2010.

Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many non-medical prescribers (a) have completed the appropriate course to allow them to become independent prescribers, (b) are registered to prescribe and (c) are prescribing in the field of drug and alcohol treatments as either supplementary or independent prescribers.

Shona Robison: NHS Education for Scotland (NES) supports non-medical independent prescribing programmes for relevant NHS staff. The courses run to different timescales therefore the data available reflect this.

  NHS NES has advised that, as at February 2010, 2,196 nurses and midwives had completed the training programme; as at November 2010, 390 pharmacists had completed the training programme; and, as at February 2011, 30 optometrists had completed the training programme.

  Successful completion of the independent prescribing training programme enables the healthcare professional to register as a prescriber with the relevant professional body. Data on all active registrations is not held centrally.

  The total number of non-medical prescribers who are prescribing in the field of drug and alcohol treatments as either supplementary or independent prescribers is not held centrally.

Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards have issued their governance arrangements to permit non-medical staff qualified to prescribe to do so in the field of drug and alcohol treatment.

Shona Robison: This information is not available centrally.

Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-35505 by Shona Robison on 24 August 2010, when the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland is expected to publish a report on the progress made under the Enhanced Tobacco Sales Enforcement Programme.

Shona Robison: The Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland expects to publish the report by the end of February 2011.

Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-35505 by Shona Robison on 24 August 2010, what the reason is for the delay to the report on progress made under the Enhanced Tobacco Sales Enforcement, which was due to be published in 2010.

Shona Robison: The reason for the delay was the extended absence and subsequent resignation of the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) National Co-ordinator who is responsible for compiling the report. The appointment of an interim co-ordinator has meant that this work can be completed to enable the report to be published by the end of February.

Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has put in place to increase the uptake of breast screening by women from ethnic minority groups.

Shona Robison: Information leaflets about the Scottish Breast Screening Service are available in various languages from NHS Health Scotland.

  These leaflets are available to download from the NHS Health Scotland website at:

  http://www.healthscotland.com/topics/health-topics/screening/breast.aspx.

  NHS boards throughout Scotland run local initiatives to help improve informed uptake of breast screening.

Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it has given to GPs to increase the uptake of breast screening in deprived areas.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Breast Screening Service works closely with GP practices and local NHS boards in advance of screening in their area. All NHS boards undertake local awareness raising in the areas where mobile vans are timetabled to visit. This often includes meetings with staff at GP practices to encourage attendance. Information packs, including posters, are provided to NHS boards and GP practices and they are encouraged to display these to improve informed uptake locally. Posters are also displayed in local supermarkets and the service is made as accessible as possible by stationing mobile screening vans in convenient local locations particularly targeting deprived areas. Other activities that have been supported nationally to improve uptake have included distribution of a DVD targeted for women with learning difficulties. The DVD was designed for use by health professionals or carers with women.

Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Scotland's Healthy Working Lives on the possible adverse health effects of shift working.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Executive has regular communications with the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives in relation to general health and wellbeing in the workplace. The Centre makes information available to employers and employees on shift working through its website and advice line.

Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the reduction in salt consumption has been as a result of voluntary agreements with the food industry in the last five years.

Shona Robison: : A survey of sodium intake was conducted in Scotland in 2006 to measure progress towards the Scottish Dietary Targets. The mean estimated salt intake was found to be 9.1g per day (10.6 and 7.6 g per day for men and women respectively).

  A UK survey in 2008 showed a reduction in the UK’s average daily salt consumption to 8.6g. In 2009, a second survey was commissioned to measure any change from 2006 in Scotland. The 2009 sodium survey is ongoing. The report of this survey was submitted for peer review in December 2010 it is expected that the report will be published later in 2011.

Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has agreed with the Food Standards Agency regarding the reduction of the intake of salt.

Shona Robison: There are two sets of salt targets, population targets and industry targets. The agreed   population target is to reduce sodium intake of the Scottish population to 100mmol per day or 6g salt/day.

  The Scottish Dietary Targets were first set out in Eating for Health: Diet Action Plan for Scotland and have since been reiterated in the Scottish Government’s publications Healthy Eating, Active Living (2008), Recipe for Success National Food and Drink Policy (2009) and Preventing Overweight and Obesity in Scotland a Route Map Towards Healthy Weight (2010).

  In 2006 the Food Standards Agency introduced voluntary salt reductions for industry across 80 categories of food, for achievement by 2010. Through a review in 2008 it was found that a number of retailers had already met these targets. Therefore, some of the 2008 targets were revised and a further version to create more challenging targets were set for achievement by 2012. You can find out more about the targets at:

  http://www.food.gov.uk/scotland/scotnut/salt/saltreduction.

  These industry targets remain in place in Scotland. The population-based Scottish dietary targets are currently monitored by the FSA urinary sodium survey.

Health

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the usefulness of homeopathy in relation to the Scottish Government’s integrative approach to patient care.

Nicola Sturgeon: Homoeopathy in the NHS is used only by registered health care professionals, integrated within their wider practice. It is reported as useful, both in specialist secondary care and in the 50% or so of general practices in Scotland which prescribe homoeopathy (with the use in those under 16 years doubling between 2000 to 2003).

  There may be debate about the scientific mechanism underpinning the results obtained, with respect to the relative contribution of the holistic consultation process, the action of the homoeopathic remedy, and placebo effects, but the results are clear, with research showing high levels of safety, patient satisfaction, consultation quality, patient enablement, and useful outcomes.

Health

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the national indicator connected with reducing coronary heart disease in under-75s in deprived areas contained in the HEAT targets for 2008-09 is absent from the current list.

Nicola Sturgeon: In 2008, the Scottish Government introduced the National Performance Framework. This new context paved the way for the review of HEAT targets, and allowed HEAT targets and local delivery plans to be better positioned to support the achievement of the Government’s purpose and national outcomes by optimizing the contribution of health-related activities. This development resulted in the refinement of a number of HEAT targets. For example, in 2008-09, HEAT contained a target to reduce mortality from coronary heart disease among the under 75s in deprived areas. This is in fact a long-term outcome achievable through the contributions and actions of a range of public services, private companies and individual behaviours. For 2009-10, the HEAT target was changed to a specific one that NHSScotland could be held to account for, that is to achieve an agreed number of inequalities targeted cardiovascular health checks during 2009-10. This HEAT target supports the range of actions carried out by other community planning partners in pursuit on the longer term outcome. In addition, NHS boards are active partners in community planning partnerships, and deliver a range of services to support delivery of single outcome agreements, over and above the HEAT targets.

Health

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason only four HEAT targets in the 2011-12 draft budget correlate with the Scottish Government’s performance indicators.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Local Delivery Plan Guidance 2011-12 sets out the HEAT targets ( http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/NHS-Scotland/17273/LDPGuidancePDF201112 ).

  HEAT targets are designed to support delivery of the National Performance Framework. The following table set out the national indicators that are supported by HEAT targets.

  

National Indicator
HEAT Target Demonstrating NHS Contribution to National Indicator


Increase healthy life expectancy at birth in the most deprived areas
Majority of targets


Reduce alcohol related hospital admissions by 2011
Achieve agreed number of screenings using the setting-appropriate screening tool and appropriate alcohol brief intervention, in line with SIGN 74 guidelines during 2011-12. By March 2013, 90% of clients will wait no longer than 3 weeks from referral received to appropriate drug or alcohol treatment that supports their recovery.


Reduce mortality from coronary heart disease among the under 75s in deprived areas
Achieve agreed number of inequalities targeted cardiovascular Health Checks during 2011-12.NHSScotland to deliver universal smoking cessation services to achieve at least 80,000 successful quits (at one month post quit) including 48,000 in the 40% most-deprived within-Board SIMD areas over the three years ending March 2014.


Reduce the rate of increase in the proportion of children with their Body Mass Index outwith a healthy range by 2018
Achieve agreed completion rates for child healthy weight intervention programme over the three years ending March 2014. 


Reduce the percentage of the adult population who smoke to 22% by 2010
NHSScotland to deliver universal smoking cessation services to achieve at least 80,000 successful quits (at one month post quit) including 48,000 in the 40% most-deprived within-Board SIMD areas over the three years ending March 2014.


60% of school children in primary 1 will have no signs of dental disease by 2010
At least 60% of 3 and 4 year olds in each SIMD quintile to have fluoride varnishing twice a year by March 2014.


Improve public sector efficiency through the generation of 2% cash releasing efficiency savings per annum
NHS Boards to deliver a 3% efficiency saving to reinvest in frontline services.


Reduce overall ecological footprint
NHSScotland to reduce energy-based carbon emissions and to continue a reduction in energy consumption to contribute to the greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets set in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.


Achieve annual milestones for reducing inpatient or day case waiting times culminating in the delivery of an 18 week referral to treatment time from December 2011
Deliver 18 weeks referral to treatment from 31 December 2011.


Decrease the estimated number of problem drug users in Scotland by 2011
By March 2013, 90% of clients will wait no longer than 3 weeks from referral received to appropriate drug or alcohol treatment that supports their recovery.


Increase the average score of adults on the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale by 2011
Deliver faster access to mental health services by delivering 26 weeks referral to treatment for specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) services from March 2013; and 18 weeks referral to treatment for Psychological Therapies from December 2014.


Reduce proportion of people aged 65 and over admitted as emergency inpatients 2 or more times in a single year
Reducing the need for emergency hospital care, NHS Boards will achieve agreed reductions in emergency inpatient bed days rates for people aged 75 and over between 2009-/10 and 2011-12 through improved partnership working between the acute, primary and community care sectors.


Increase the percentage of people aged 65 and over with high levels of care needs who are cared for at home
Reducing the need for emergency hospital care, NHS Boards will achieve agreed reductions in emergency inpatient bed days rates for people aged 75 and over between 2009-10 and 2011-12 through improved partnership working between the acute, primary and community care sectors.

Health

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason it has decided to create HEAT standards to replace HEAT targets.

Nicola Sturgeon: HEAT targets are agreed with a wide range of stakeholders, and set out the areas where accelerated improvement is required.

  NHS Boards aim to deliver the HEAT targets through sustainable improvement. Following delivery of HEAT targets, the expectation is that NHS boards will continue to deliver the improved performance and the target becomes a standard. For 2011-12, the local delivery plan guidance (see http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/NHS-Scotland/17273/LDPGuidancePDF201112.) sets out eight national standards.

  Provide 48 hour access or advance booking to an appropriate member of the GP Practice Team.

  To respond to 75% of Category A calls within eight minutes from April 2009 onwards across mainland Scotland (Scottish Ambulance Service).

  98% of patients will wait less than four hours from arrival to admission, discharge or transfer for accident and emergency treatment.

  No patient will wait longer than 12 weeks from referral (all sources) to a first outpatient appointment (measured on month end Census).

  No patient will wait longer than nine weeks for inpatient and day case treatment (measured on month end Census).

  No people will wait more than six weeks to be discharged from hospital into a more appropriate care setting.

  Maintain the number of people with a diagnosis of dementia on the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) dementia register and other equivalent sources.

  NHS boards to achieve a sickness absence rate of 4% from 31 March 2009.

  The Scottish Government will monitor these standards, and discuss performance at NHS boards’ annual reviews. The HEAT targets which have been delivered by NHS boards, over and above the eight national standards, are standards which are monitored locally by NHS boards.

Health

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote good bone health.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is committed to promoting good bone health and a range of actions are being taken forward. As part of our anticipatory care approach to long term conditions management, we recognise the benefits of taking steps to ensure strong bones throughout life and our wider work in supporting young people to make positive choices about their health and wellbeing by means of our programmes relating to smoking, alcohol, healthy eating and physical activity is supporting this approach.

  Since November 2008, an osteoporosis directed enhanced service has been offered to all Scottish GP practices to ensure eligible women who have had a fragility fracture are investigated for possible osteoporosis.

  Work has also been undertaken by the Scottish Government, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland, NHS boards and by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network to ensure that avoidable fractures, including fragility fractures, are minimised.

  We have also been working in partnership with the Care Commission to take forward work on falls and fracture prevention in older people, including those living in care homes. A falls and fracture self-assessment resource pack is expected to be launched in Spring/Summer 2011.

Health

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has cost the NHS to treat and care for patients who have experienced fractures due to bad weather in each of the last three years.

Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally.

Health

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met the Healthy Living Alliance.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Executive last met with the Scottish Healthy Living Centre Alliance (SHLCA) on 3 November 2010. The main item for discussion was a request from SHLCA for financial support from the Scottish Government.

Justice

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues to ensure the independence and impartiality of witness statements.

Frank Mulholland: Guidance is not issued directly by the Scottish Government, since these are operational matters for the police, other reporting agencies who prepare witness statements and prosecutors.

  Detailed guidance for police officers entitled Disclosure in Criminal Proceedings – Manual of Guidance has been prepared by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) in consultation with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. This material is publicly available and can be found at:

  http://www.acpos.police.uk/Documents/Policies/CJ_ACPOSDisclosure_in_CriminalProceedingsManual_of_GuidanceV2NPM.pdf

  Chapter nine of the guidance deals specifically with witness statements. It is clear in stating the importance of obtaining statements from all witnesses and the requirement to accurately record, retain and review this information before revealing it to the Crown. A training package devised by ACPOS which emphasises the importance of accurate statement taking by police officers has now been delivered to all police officers in Scotland.

  The Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 will place current disclosure practices on a statutory footing. Section 164 of the Act will require the Lord Advocate to issue a code of practice in relation to that part of the act. This is currently under development and will be laid before the Parliament. The code will include guidance on the taking of statements. The police, prosecutors and other reporting agencies that engage in the investigation of crime and sudden deaths and submit reports to Procurators Fiscal, must have regard to the code of practice in undertaking their functions.

  In addition section 54 of the 2010 Act permits the prosecutor to give a witness a copy of their statement, which will provide a further safeguard in ensuring accuracy.

Justice

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that police officers completing witness statements do so impartially and without consulting with colleagues.

Frank Mulholland: The requirements for the preparation of witness statements are set down in detailed operational guidance prepared by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland in consultation with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). This requires that witness statements obtained by the police should be accurate, contain detail of all matters of significance to the case and as far as possible should reflect the words of the witness. This guidance is clear that all statements should be checked for accuracy by the originating officer before being submitted electronically to COPFS. Where a police officer is submitting a statement relating to their own involvement then this must be prepared and confirmed as being accurate by that officer.

  Further information about this operational guidance is provided in the answer to question S3W-39285 on 24 February 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Justice

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether procurators fiscal have a responsibility to examine the content and impartiality of witness statements recorded by police officers.

Frank Mulholland: Procurators Fiscal have a responsibility to consider the content of all information which is provided to them by the police and other reporting agencies in the course of a criminal case, including available witness statements. The Crown is also under an obligation to disclose proactively, witness statement information in their possession to the defence.

  The approach to dealing with witness statements is outlined in Chapters 4, 13, 14 and 15 of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Disclosure Manual. This detailed guidance is publicly available and can be accessed at:

  http://www.copfs.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Publications/Resource/Doc/7/0000624.pdf

  Operational guidance also exists between the Crown and the Association of Chief Police Officers. Further information about this material is provided in the answer to question S3W-39285 on 24 February 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s web site, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice’s comments to the Justice Committee on 28 May 2009 that the Scottish Government wants "to ensure that the proceeds of crime go back to agencies so that we have that virtuous circle", that it "will work with ACPOS to try to strike a balance" and that he was "more than happy to keep Parliament abreast of developments" ( Official Report , c. 18006), (a) what agencies it considers should receive a share of proceeds of crime funds, (b) how it will strike this balance, (c) what discussions it has had with ACPOS on this issue and (d) what action it has taken since 28 May 2009 to keep the Parliament updated on progress on this issue.

Kenny MacAskill: The vast majority of monies recovered under proceeds of crime legislation is being invested in the Scottish Government’s Cashback for Communities scheme, which make a real difference to the lives of young people in our communities across Scotland.

  Where a case can be made that it will increase receipts, we are prepared to reinvest some of the proceeds in enhancing the efforts of the agencies directly involved in recovering those assets and criminal profits. That is why the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has been given £400,000 per annum for the last two years to recruit and retain specialist staff.

  After discussion with ACPOS we have also provided £500,000 to allow three police forces to recruit financial investigators. This funding was matched by the three police forces and has resulted in an additional 19 financial investigators being recruited. This pilot will be evaluated later this year before a decision is taken on whether to roll out or extend the arrangement to other police forces.

  The funding for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service was highlighted to the Parliament during the Cashback for Communities debate on 28 May 2009 and the funding allocation for the police was highlighted during the serious organised crime debate on 11 March 2010.

Justice

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on what date building work commenced on phase 2 of the Gartcosh crime campus.

Kenny MacAskill: The stage 2 contractor commenced work on the construction of the Scottish Crime Campus on 21 February 2011.

Mental Health

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been detained under the Mental Health Act (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 since April 2010.

Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally. The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland is notified of detentions under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 and may be able to provide further information.

Mental Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the European average is, per 1 million of population, of beds for mental health admissions for children up to 16 years old.

Shona Robison: This information is not available. The World Health Organization has a European Health for All Database with various indicators, however beds per 1 million of population for mental health admissions for children up to 16 years old are not one of the indicators.

  http://www.euro.who.int/en/what-we-do/data-and-evidence/databases/european-health-for-all-database-hfa-db2.

  Information on child/adolescent beds for Scotland is published on the ISD website at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/3426.html.

Mental Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children under 16 years old were admitted to adult psychiatric wards and how many of these admissions were deemed inappropriate, in each of the last three years.

Shona Robison: The number of children under 16 admitted to an adult psychiatric ward are:

  2007-08: 28

  2008-09: 34

  2009-10: 35

  The latest figures from the Mental Welfare Commission show that the number of young people under the age of 16 who were admitted to adult mental health beds is similar to that of the previous year. However the number of young males admitted has increased whilst the number of females has decreased. This may be due to young males requiring urgent admission for other mental health problems with young women more likely being admitted on an arranged basis, often for eating disorders.

  With regard to the number who were deemed to be admitted inappropriately this information is not available.

  Further information can be obtained at :

  http://reports.mwcscot.org.uk/annual_monitoring/overview2009-2010/monitoringourpriorityareas2010/young_people_under_18_2010.aspx.

NHS Boards

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next meet representatives of NHS Lothian.

Nicola Sturgeon: Ministers and Government officials meet representatives of all NHS boards on a regular basis. Forthcoming meetings with representatives of NHS Lothian will cover a wide range of matters of current interest to the NHS in Scotland in general and to NHS Lothian in particular.

NHS Complaints

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many written complaints each NHS board has received in each of the last three years, broken down by category of complaint, and what percentage of these has resulted in corrective action.

Nicola Sturgeon: Data collected on complaints about the NHS in Scotland is published annually by the Information Services Division and is available at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/4424.html.

NHS Finance

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that, in comparing the draft budget for 2011-12 with that for 2010-11, £95 million less is budgeted for the NHS boards and Special Health Boards.

Nicola Sturgeon: Within the 2011-12 draft budget document, the revenue budget for NHS boards and Special Health Boards will increase by £223.5 million compared to 2010-11. The 2010-11 position has been restated to reflect transfers in respect of the removal of the cost of capital (following revised HM Treasury guidance), transfer of funding in respect of Adult Support and Protection Act to local government and other corporate transfers.

  Figures in the 2010-11 Draft Budget and the 2011-12 Draft Budget are not directly comparable due to the reasons stated above and therefore a more valid comparison is to use the prior year figure included in the current budget.

NHS Finance

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that, when comparing the draft budgets for 2011-12 and 2010-11 for health and sport, spending plans for education and training are reduced at a proportionally higher rate under the workforce line than the nursing line.

Nicola Sturgeon: Figures in the 2010-11 Draft Budget and the 2011-12 Draft Budget are not directly comparable.

  The 2010-11 position has been restated to reflect transfers in respect of the removal of the cost of capital (following revised HM Treasury guidance), transfer of funding in respect of Adult Support and Protection Act to local government and other corporate transfers, therefore a more valid comparison is to use the prior year figure included in the current budget.

  

2011-12 Draft Budget
2010-11
2011-12
Increase


 
£ million
£ million
 


Workforce
25.9
28.5
+10.0%


Nursing
150.1
150.4
+0.2%

NHS Finance

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, when comparing the education and training spending plans across the workforce and nursing lines in the draft budget for 2011-12 and 2010-11 for health and sport, the nursing line will see the larger decrease in cash terms.

Nicola Sturgeon: Figures in the 2010-11 Draft Budget and the 2011-12 Draft Budget are not directly comparable.

  The 2010-11 position has been restated to reflect transfers in respect of the removal of the cost of capital (following revised HM Treasury guidance), transfer of funding in respect of Adult Support and Protection Act to local government and other corporate transfers, therefore a more valid comparison is to use the prior year figure included in the current budget.

  

2011-12 Draft Budget
2010-11
2011-12
Increase


 
£ million
£ million
 


Workforce
25.9
28.5
+10.0%


Nursing
150.1
150.4
+0.2%

NHS Finance

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the draft budget for 2011-12 for health and sport, the workforce budget line has decreased by 17.2% and the nursing budget line by 7% compared with the draft budget for 2010-11.

Nicola Sturgeon: Figures in the 2010-11 Draft Budget and the 2011-12 Draft Budget are not directly comparable.

  The 2010-11 position has been restated to reflect transfers in respect of the removal of the cost of capital (following revised HM Treasury guidance), transfer of funding in respect of Adult Support and Protection Act to local government and other corporate transfers, therefore a more valid comparison is to use the prior year figure included in the current budget.

  

2011-12 Draft Budget
2010-11
2011-12
Increase


 
£ million
£ million
 


Workforce
25.9
28.5
+10.0%


Nursing
150.1
150.4
+0.2%

NHS Finance

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the eHealth strategy commitments that it plans to defer under its draft budget for 2011-12.

Nicola Sturgeon: There are no plans to defer strategic commitments, these improvements will continue to be taken forward in partnership with NHS Scotland.

NHS Finance

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has assessed the impact of the proposed reduction in the health screening budget for 2011-12 by almost £6 million to £8.4 million in real terms compared with 2010-11.

Nicola Sturgeon: The 2011-12 Draft Budget states that the proposed budget in 2011-12 for health screening is £8 million which compares to the prior year figure of £8.5 million (which is unchanged from the 2010-11 Draft Budget figure).

  This budget reflects the projected resource needed to allow the Government to fulfil its commitment to continue planned amendments to existing screening programmes and to begin roll out of abdominal aortic aneurysm screening.

NHS Finance

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its assessment is of how the recent increase in VAT will impact on the NHS budget in 2011-12.

Nicola Sturgeon: The increase in VAT is estimated to cost the NHS budget £26 million in 2011-12.

NHS Funding

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the demand-led funding for general (a) medical and (b) dental services.

Nicola Sturgeon: Allocations for 2011-12 for General Medical Services are still to be decided and are subject to UK pay negotiations with the professional groups concerned. We do not disclose figures in advance as it could prejudice these contract negotiations.

  In 2011-12 we will increase funding for General Dental Services by £40 million to £396.6 million.

NHS Funding

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason it has reduced, in the draft budget for 2011-12, the increase planned for eHealth for 2010-11.

Nicola Sturgeon: The 2010-11 budget includes one-off planned expenditure which reflected a phased profile of expenditure over the three year period covered by the 2007 Spending Review. In the 2011-12 Draft Budget the one-off planned expenditure has been removed from the restated 2010-11 position.

  The 2011-12 settlement has been agreed by the eHealth Strategy Board. The investment budget is sufficient to meet the agreed strategic priorities over 2011-14.

NHS Funding

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason there is no accident and emergency waiting time target in the draft budget for 2011-12.

Nicola Sturgeon: The target for 98% of patients to wait less than four hours from arrival to admission, discharge or transfer for accident and emergency treatment was effectively delivered in December 2007. The proportion of patients dealt with within four hours increasing from 84 per cent in April 2006 to 98 per cent in December 2007. The latest annual performance for 2009/10 was 97.4%.

  The Local Delivery Plan Guidance 2011-12 sets out the agreed HEAT targets and standards for NHSScotland at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/NHS-Scotland/17273/LDPGuidancePDF201112.

  These HEAT targets and standards support the budgetary process.

  NHS boards’ local delivery plan for 2011-12 will include the HEAT national standard that 98% of patients will wait less than 4 hours from arrival to admission, discharge or transfer for accident and emergency treatment.

  Performance against this standard is published by ISD at http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/4024.html and considered at the NHS boards’ annual reviews.

NHS Funding

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that in its draft budget for 2011-12 the spending on health will be £190 million less than planned in the budget for 2010-11.

Nicola Sturgeon: The budget for health will increase by £190.5 million compared to 2010-11. The 2010-11 position has been restated to reflect transfers in respect of the removal of the cost of capital (following revised HM Treasury guidance), transfer of funding in respect of Adult Support and Protection Act to local government and other corporate transfers.

  Figures in the 2010-11 Draft Budget and the 2011-12 Draft Budget are not directly comparable due to the reasons stated above and therefore a more valid comparison is to use the prior year figure included in the current budget.

NHS Staff

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason there is no target to tackle NHS staff sickness absence in the draft budget for 2011-12.

Nicola Sturgeon: The draft budget includes a priority to support NHSScotland to achieve productivity and efficiency gains without compromising quality through the implementation of the new efficiency and productivity plan.

  The Local Delivery Plan Guidance 2011-12 sets out the agreed HEAT targets and standards for NHSScotland at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/NHS-Scotland/17273/LDPGuidancePDF201112.

  These HEAT targets and standards support the budgetary process.

  NHS boards’ local delivery plan for 2011-12 will include the HEAT national standard to achieve a sickness absence rate of 4% from 31 March 2009.

  The Scottish Government published its refreshed NHSScotland Efficiency and Productivity Framework in February 2011. This has set out the full range of actions that the Scottish Government will undertake to support NHS boards.

  Performance against the sickness absence standard is published by ISD at http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/5380.html#Sickness_absence and considered at NHS boards’ annual reviews.

NHS Staff

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many psychologists have been employed in each discipline in each year since 2007.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information for 2010 on the number of psychologists employed in NHSScotland is published on the NHS National Services Scotland, Information Services Division (ISD) website at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/5381.html.

  Previous years can be found at: http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/5759.html.

  Table 6 in publications 2007-10 details all applied psychologists in NHSScotland by area of work.

NHS Staff

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies in consultant psychologist posts there are in each NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on vacancies for consultant psychologists posts in each NHS board is available from the Information Services Division website under workforce information at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/5899.html.

NHS Staff

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards provide nursery or crèche facilities for its employees wishing to return to work following maternity leave.

Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally.

NHS Staff

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual staff turnover through natural wastage has been in each NHS board in each of the last four years.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on annual staff turnover in NHSScotland by staff group is published on the NHS National Services Scotland, Information Services Division website at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/servlet/FileBuffer?namedFile=Turnover_2010.xls&pContentDispositionType=attachment.

NHS Staff

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many posts are currently filled on a temporary basis in each NHS board and how many have been so for more than (a) two, (b) five and (c) eight years.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not centrally available.

National Health Service

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the NHS has a role in reducing inequality and poverty in areas of multiple deprivation.

Shona Robison: NHS boards have an important role to play in reducing inequality and poverty in areas of multiple deprivation. Health and Wellbeing ministers have made it clear that boards and community health partnerships should contribute to the Scottish Government’s overall purpose and to a range of national and local outcomes, including those aimed at reducing inequality and poverty. As part of the local delivery plans and NHS accountability process, boards are now required to demonstrate activity that supports the agreed priorities set out in the three linked social policy frameworks on early years, health inequality and tackling poverty, as well as economic recovery from recession. Where appropriate, this will include activity targeted in areas of multiple deprivation, such as the Keep Well programme of inequalities-targeted health checks. To date, more than 90,000 people from Scotland’s most deprived communities have received a Keep Well health check. The health checks cover both clinical risk factors and wider life circumstances, with patients receiving appropriate follow-up treatment and advice. We have announced plans to mainstream the Keep Well programme from April 2012.

National Health Service

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many senior managers there are in each NHS board and how many there have been in each of the last four years.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Workforce data is published by NHS National Services Scotland, Information Services Division (ISD). Trend workforce information showing headcount and whole time equivalent of management grades (non agenda for change) as at 30 September for the years 2007 to 2010 by NHS board can be found at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/servlet/FileBuffer?namedFile=All%20other%20staff%202010.xls&pContentDispositionType=attachment.

National Health Service

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of expenditure on external management consultants in the NHS in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10, broken down by company and showing the purpose for which they were contracted.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government does not collect information on the number of management consultants across NHSScotland. This is a matter for individual NHS boards.

Police

Nicol Stephen (Aberdeen South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers there are per head of population in the Grampian Police force area.

Kenny MacAskill: Thanks to there being 172 more police officers in Grampian Constabulary at 30 September 2010 compared with March 2007, as a result of our pledge to deliver 1,000 additional officers in our communities, Grampian had 28 full-time equivalent police officers per 10,000 head of population on 31 March 2010, compared to 26 on 31 March 2007.

Prescriptions

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prescription pre-payment certificates have been issued in each year since 2005, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: The information is set out in the following table.

  

Prescription Pre-Payment Certificate Sales to Patients by NHS Board
 


NHS Board
Type of Certificate 
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10


Argyll and Clyde 1
4 Months
13,171
-
-
-
-


 
12 Months
4,355
-
-
-
-


 
Monthly Total
17,525
-
-
-
-


Ayrshire and Arran
4 Months
12,868
13,305
12,641
26,683
30,629


 
12 Months
2,609
2,607
1,873
4,098
4,167


 
Monthly Total
15,478
15,912
14,514
30,781
34,796


Borders
4 Months
2,922
3,257
3,243
6,808
8,571


 
12 Months
1,155
1,150
760
1,679
1,748


 
Monthly Total
4,077
4,407
4,003
8,487
10,319


Dumfries and Galloway
4 Months
3,991
4,314
4,069
8,060
9,617


 
12 Months
1,954
1,874
1,331
2,527
2,520


 
Monthly Total
5,945
6,188
5,401
10,587
12,137


Fife
4 Months
8,687
9,356
9,469
21,169
26,568


 
12 Months
3,291
3,182
2,154
4,295
4,306


 
Monthly Total
11,978
12,538
11,622
25,464
30,874


Forth Valley
4 Months
8,720
9,404
9,243
19,759
23,719


 
12 Months
3,004
2,854
1,916
3,941
3,854


 
Monthly Total
11,724
12,258
11,159
23,700
27,573


Grampian
4 Months
13,156
13,836
13,999
30,954
39,413


 
12 Months
5,234
4,999
3,618
7,383
7,419


 
Monthly Total
18,390
18,836
17,616
38,337
46,832


Greater Glasgow/GreaterGlasgow and Clyde 2
4 Months
16,781
29,538
28,620
66,118
80,821


 
12 Months
5,698
8,503
6,134
12,259
11,730


 
Monthly Total
22,479
16,582
34,753
78,377
92,551


Highland 3
4 Months
5,561
8,788
8,991
18,454
22,784


 
12 Months
2,236
3,438
2,496
5,202
5,234


 
Monthly Total
7,797
12,227
11,487
23,656
28,018


Lanarkshire
4 Months
16,380
17,361
17,043
37,240
45,301


 
12 Months
5,388
5,191
3,600
6,921
6,965


 
Monthly Total
21,768
22,551
20,643
44,161
52,266


Lothian
4 Months
16,162
17,689
17,753
42,760
54,306


 
12 Months
5,832
5,767
3,987
8,286
8,496


 
Monthly Total
21,994
23,456
21,740
51,046
62,802


Orkney
4 Months
514
546
593
1,321
1,615


 
12 Months
221
225
161
305
304


 
Monthly Total
735
770
754
1,626
1,919


Shetland
4 Months
801
795
882
1,290
1,769


 
12 Months
486
489
326
753
736


 
Monthly Total
1,287
1,284
1,208
2,043
2,505


Tayside
4 Months
9,327
10,199
10,083
21,894
28,089


 
12 Months
3,340
3,171
2,152
4,493
4,229


 
Monthly Total
12,667
13,370
12,235
26,387
32,318


Western Isles
4 Months
1,095
1,197
1,101
2,129
2,425


 
12 Months
370
356
234
494
538


 
Monthly Total
1,465
1,553
1,335
2,623
2,963


Overall Total for
4 Months
130,138
139,584
137,730
304,639
375,627


Overall Total for
12 Months
45,172
43,807
30,740
62,636
62,246


Total PPCs 
 
175,310
183,391
168,470
367,275
437,873



  Notes:

  1. NHS Argyll and Clyde was abolished in 2006, and subsumed into NHS Highland and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

  2. Figures for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde from 2006-07 onwards include sales from parts of the former NHS Argyll and Clyde area.

  3. Figures for NHS Highland from 2006-07 onwards include sales from parts of the former NHS Argyll and Clyde area.

Prescriptions

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the purchasers of prescription pre-payment certificates have saved in (a) each year since the phased reduction in the cost of pre-payment certificates began and (b) total, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: Prescription pre-payment certificates (PPC) have been available as both 12-month certificates and four-month certificates. The following table shows savings per PPC, since we started reducing prices from 1 April 2008. As indicated in the table, a patient who has always bought 12-month PPCs will have saved a total of more than £180 since the policy of phasing out prescription charges was introduced on that date.

  People have been able to buy up to three four-month certificates in any one year, but data is not available showing how many individuals bought PPCs each year. Additionally, data is not held which shows which individuals bought a 12-month PPC one year and not the next, and therefore their related savings are not known.

  Figures showing total sales by NHS board are provided to the member in the answer to question S3W-39338 on 24 February 2011. Overall sales of PPCs have increased by more than 100,000 since 2007-08, up by around 160%. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

  Savings per PPC Based on Costs at 31 March 2007

  

 
Four-Month PPC
12-Month PPC


2008-09
£18.85
£50.70


2009-10
£22.85
£60.70


2010-11
£25.85
£70.70

Regeneration

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it monitors how the funding awarded to local authorities and other organisations from the Town Centre Regeneration Fund has been spent.

Alex Neil: Under the terms and conditions of the Town Centre Regeneration Fund grant, grantees are required to keep Scottish Ministers informed of the progress of their projects.

  They are required to submit progress reports which include details of actual expenditure and any change to estimated expenditure for the financial year and/or the project as a whole along with the reasons for any changes and progress in achieving outputs/outcomes. On completion, grantees are required to submit a final report summarising the outcomes and performance of the project.

Road Safety

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many speeding offenders have been detected at speeds that fall within the parameters of eligibility for the Speed Awareness Course in each of the last five years.

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scots have been offered places on speed awareness courses in England after being caught speeding in England and unable to attend such a course in Scotland in each of the last five years.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

Road Safety

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to supporting speed awareness courses in Scotland.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government has given a commitment in the Road Safety Framework to consider if the introduction of a speed awareness course would be an appropriate contribution to road safety in Scotland. This is a medium term commitment with a timescale of between two and five years from the publication of the framework which was in June 2009.

Road Safety

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason Scotland is the only part of the United Kingdom that does not offer drivers speed awareness courses as an alternative to prosecution for low-end speeding offences.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government has given a commitment in its Road Safety Framework to consider if speed awareness courses would be an appropriate contribution to road safety in Scotland. As part of this process it will consider research which has been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of such courses. Notwithstanding this, the decision on whether a speed awareness course would be an appropriate means of case disposal would lie with the Lord Advocate.

Sectarianism

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-39060 by Fergus Ewing on 8 February 2011, how much of the funding detailed in the table was provided via the Race, Religion and Refugee Integration Fund, broken down by (a) organisation and (b) year of award.

Fergus Ewing: The funding to the Youth Community Support Agency was provided through the Race, Religion and Refugee Integration Funding Stream 2008-11. I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-39060 on 8 February 2011 which already provides a breakdown by financial years.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Social Care

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is legal to charge VAT on the cost of social care services.

Nicola Sturgeon: The provision of what are termed "welfare services" is exempt from VAT when provided by designated organisations. These include public bodies such as government departments, local authorities and NHS boards.

  In most cases social care services would be classified as welfare services and as NHS boards are a designated bodies for the purposes of these rules, it is likely that any such charges would be exempt from VAT.

Sport Funding

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, given the increase in the workforce line for health and sport in the draft budget for 2011-12 to £28.5 million in cash terms, what regulatory bodies will receive lower payments.

Nicola Sturgeon: There are no plans at the moment to reduce the amount paid to regulatory bodies as a result of the increase in the workforce budget.

Transport

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-32043 by Stewart Stevenson on 11 March 2010, what the most up-to-date estimate is of the (a) final cost and (b) completion date of the (i) Forth Replacement Crossing, (ii) M74 extension, (iii) M8 completion, (iv) M80 completion, (v) Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and (vi) Borders Railway project.

Keith Brown: The most up to date estimates are shown in the following table:

  

Project
(a) Estimated Final Cost
(b) Estimated Completion Date


(i) Forth Replacement Crossing
£1.7 billion to £2.3billion
2016-17


(ii) M74 Extension
£692 million
June 2011


(iii) M8/Network Improvements/ M74 Raith
£320 million
Operational by 2016-17 (detailed timetable subject to review)


(iv) M80 Completion (Stepps to Haggs)
£320 million
Autumn 2011


(v) Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route
£295 million to £395 million. To be reviewed and updated once the legal challenges submitted to the Court of Session have been resolved.
To be reviewed once the legal challenges submitted to the Court of Session have been resolved.  Assuming a successful outcome to the challenges, a thorough review of the remaining stages of the project will be undertaken to produce a definitive timetable to construction.


(vi) Borders Railway (formerly known as the Waverley Railway Project)
£235 million to £295 million (at 2012 prices)
2014

Vaccinations

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve the understanding by teenage girls of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine.

Shona Robison: To support the HPV vaccination programme a major awareness raising campaign was funded by the Scottish Government. This campaign has run since the launch of the vaccination programme in 2008. A range of information materials have been produced and made available to girls and parents about the vaccination.

  All girls eligible for the HPV vaccine are provided with an information leaflet, either by their school prior to vaccination or from their NHS board if they have left school. Information leaflets are also available for health care professionals and parents and carers of girls eligible for vaccination.

  A website, www.fightcervicalcancer.org.uk, has been specifically created to support the vaccination programme. The website contains a range of information materials in addition to electronic versions of the leaflets that have been produced. A free NHS helpline number which girls can call for impartial advice and information is also available.

  In addition to this national activity many NHS boards will themselves undertake local awareness raising activity to promote the benefits of the vaccine.

Vaccinations

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation; when these discussions took place, and whether it plans to continue the provision of the influenza A (H1N1) vaccination to young children.

Shona Robison: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) meets regularly to discuss vaccine related issues. Officials from the Scottish Government and from Health Protection Scotland attend these meetings.All children aged six months to five years old were offered vaccination against influenza A (H1N1) during the H1N1 pandemic in 2009-10 on the basis of what was known about the virus at the time. However there is no longer a pandemic of influenza and for 2010-11 we have returned to the routine seasonal flu arrangements. The JCVI considered whether flu vaccination should be offered to healthy children aged either zero to four years and five to 15 years of age at their meeting on 30 December 2010. It considered that, although there was a high incidence of influenza-like illness in those age groups, a significant proportion was due to other viruses such as Respiratory Syncytial Virus. In addition, only a very small proportion of those with severe disease at the time were children. Most healthy children who catch flu will recover within a week and will not experience any adverse effects.In conclusion, the JCVI recommended that only adults and children (aged from six months) who have clinical risk factors which place them at particular risk from seasonal flu, should have vaccination against flu this year. The Scottish Government, and all the UK administrations, followed this recommendation and has not offered seasonal flu vaccination to healthy children this year. This is in line with practice in previous years where healthy children have not been recommended for seasonal flu vaccination.

  The JCVI continues to keep recommendations under review and we will consider carefully any recommendations it makes.